GAME DESTEOYING HAWKS. 



OtSBHnsboro, Ala. 



Bditoe American Field :— In tlie issue of the Amebi- 

 CAN Field of Dacember 17, ia an article entitled "Hawks 

 in Deadly Combat," M. M. R. says : "I make it a rule to 

 kill every hawk I can, and if all sportsmen would do the 

 same, I think we would have more quails." 



I will enumerate the hawks that ought to be shot by 

 sportsmen : The blue darters, as they are commonly called, 

 are most destructive of game. Of these there are two: 

 Cooper's hawk {Aceipiter cooperi), and the sharp-shinned 

 hawk (A ■eelox). I believe no hawks to be more legitimate 

 objects of pursuit by every sportsman than these two accip- 

 itrine hawks. They with the gos hawk (A atricapillm), 

 which should also be shot on all occasions, may be easily 

 distinguished by the observant sportsman from other hawks. 

 Their manner of flight to the experienced eye is sufficiently 

 characteristic to identify them, as far as they can be seen. 

 The tail is long compared to the wing, which is short and 

 rounded When in pursuit of their prey, unlike the falcon 

 which soars at great heights, they fly rapidly in a straight 

 line a few feet above the ground, taking the advantage of 

 any rising ground or hedge, or any obstacle which may pre- 

 sent itself, to conceal their attack upon their quarry. I 

 know this to be especially true of Cooper's hawk. These 

 cunning hawks, in spite of the fact that I bagged six, be- 

 sides wounding a number of others in and around my yard 

 since the 1st of last March, have captured and carried off to 

 my certain knowledge over a dozen of my tame pigeons. 



My house is surrounded on the east and south by a pine 

 grove, while a row of tall cedars obstructs the view on the 

 north side of the yard. To give the reader some idea of the 

 audacity of Cooper's hawks, I will relate a deed of daring 

 of one of these marauders, which occurred during the Sum- 

 mer. The cackling of the fowls in the pine grove an- 

 nounced the pre.sence of the hawk. I had hardly time to 

 arm myself and step to the door, when he shot like a flash 

 across the yard ; but missing his bird this time, he passed 

 on to the row of cedars and concealed himself again. I 

 stood still, awaiting the denouement. The terrified pigeons 

 circled around for perhaps half an hour, and seeing noth- 

 ing of their foe they lighted again upon the roof of the 

 pigeon house. They had hardly settled when the hawk 

 made another rake at them, and, as he passed over the gable 

 endU)f the house, just too late, I_ sent a charge of No. 8 

 shot after him, and repeated the dose as he came into view 

 about seventy-five yards beyond the house, and circled over 

 the pine grove. I missed him this time with both barrels, 

 and he missed his pigeon; but so satisfied was I that he had 

 been frightened away by the firing of the gun that I 

 gave the matter no further attention. The hawk 

 however, was not gone ; he had again concealed himself in 

 the pines. The pigeons, as usual, had surveyed things 

 below and thinking perhaps danger threatened them no 

 longer, they pitched again upon the house. No sooner had 

 tliey lighted than I heard a rush of wings, and hastening to 

 the door I saw the hawk close behind the pigeons as they 

 passed around the house out of sight. I seized my gun, and 

 ran to the front door when, about fifty yards from me rosfe, 

 among the pines, the rascal with a young pigeon in tow. 

 This pigeon was the only survivor of a happy family that 

 had had their domicile against the gable end of the kitchen 

 — father, mother and brother had been captured by the 

 hawks and now, before my very eyes, my little pet was 

 borne ofl. Both the old pigeons having been caught, I had 

 reared thejp starving orphans with my own hands. 



My pigions have not been molested by hawks since the 

 middle of October. From the 1st of March to the middle 

 of October not a week passed that Cooper's hawk did not 

 visit my pigeons, and during all that time no other species 

 of hawk disturbed them, except a peregrine falcon, which 

 was beginning to stoop at them, one day, when a charge of 

 shot whizzed so near his head that he reconsidered the mat- 

 ter, and towered again to survey other parts for his prey. 



There are two more hawks, which I have not enumerated 

 among those which sportsmen ought to kill : The peregrine 

 falcon (falco peregrinm anatiim), and the pigeon hawk (JF 

 Oolumharius). These hawks are rare here. Twice, in an 

 experience in the field of forty years, I have had the pere- 

 grine falcon to stoop at birds at which I had just shot: once 

 at a partridge (OoUnus verginianiM) and once at a wounded 

 willet. I have seen the pigeon falcon, on several occasions, 

 in pursuit of wild pigeons; but these falcons are so seldom 

 met with that they cannot destroy a great deal of game, 

 though nevertheless they should always be shot if possible, 

 when seen. 



There are other species of falcons which I believe prey 

 upon birds, with the exception of the sparrow-hawk {F 

 sparveriiis) which feeds mainly upon insects. 



The sportsman who does not know the game-destroying 

 hawks should make himself acquainted with them. He 

 should not destroy indiscriminately every hawk that crosses 

 his path. Rarely do the huteoninae (buzzards) prey upon 

 fowls or game. Their food is insects, reptiles and small 

 quadrupeds. They are not swift enough of wing to capture 

 a bird, and very few birds, if any, which can save them- 

 selves by flight will sit still and allow a buzzard to pounce 

 \tpon them. Any sportsman who will may make himself 

 acquainted with the food of hawks, by examining the con- 

 tents of their stomachs. If he will do so he will soon be 

 convinced that he is accomplishing no good but, on the con- 

 trary, much harm "by making it a rule to kill every hawk 

 he can." No ! many species of hawks are the friends of the 

 farmer, and should not be destroyed. They are to the fields 

 what the domestic cat is to the house. Great harm may be 

 done by their destruction; we should distinguish our friends 

 from our enemies. W. C. A. 



HAWKS AND OWLS. ^ 



L:. 8. Depaktmkkt op Agrictiltuue, ) 

 / W.' sniNOTON, D. C. j 



Editor American Field :— I notice with regret an article 

 OR page 171 of your issue of February 19, by Quail, sug- 

 gesting that gun clubs should unite in endeavors to influence 

 the legislatures of the several states to pass bills offering 

 premiums on birds of prey. 



A more unfortunate and lameatable proceeding oould 

 hardly bo suggested than thi.9 movement to secure laws j 

 granting bounties on hawks and owls, for obviously the 

 destruction of the natural eneraie.s of our small rodents 

 I would be disastrous in its reaction upon agriculture. This 

 is especially true in tho lar-c sfi tions ..f l ountry which are 

 infested by meadow miro .iiid nopliers. ^ Ii.'ie evon a slight 

 reduction in the numl)er of hawks and owls would make it 

 a que.stion whether the harvest could be made with profit or 

 loss. 



To those who have studied the food habits of our rapa- 

 cious birds, it i.s a matter of wonder that, in this enlightened 

 ago, men will advocate tlie wholesale destruction of the I 

 farmer's most useful fiUies for keeping in check the above- 

 mentioned pests. Petmsylvauia has paid bounties on hawks 

 aud owls for the pa>t two years, and will unquestionably 

 sulfer severely through the short-sighted ignorance of its 

 law-uiakers, or their constituents. 



Fortunately this law has been repealed through the per- 

 severance of Dr. B. Harry Warren, Ornithologist to the 

 Pennsylvania State Board of Agriculture, in setting the facts 

 before the jinblic. 



Ol tlie si.vtri u or Seventeen species of hawks inhabiting I 

 th«- Kii-steru United States, tliere are four only, which, in the j 

 opinion of ornithologists, should be persecuted on account" 

 of their depredations on ponltr)- and native birds. One, the ' 

 goshawk {AmiinWr ftfrir^. ... ,„ .r^j,,,,-,, :^pefie8 ' sel- 

 dom seen in the UniU'ii : , , .,„,] vyjjj_ 



ter; another, the due k ^^ ^m, Is so rare 



that it may bo dismissed witli tJie mere mention of it.s name. 



